Originally, Ukrainian housewives baked homemade bread. They got up at dawn, kindled the oven, conjured over the dough, kneaded neat loaves, and soon the fragrant aroma of fresh bread spread throughout the house. Baking bread required a lot of patience, attention and, of course, time. That is why in our time, with its vanity and constant worries, there are not many families left where housewives delight their loved ones with homemade bread. Most simply buy baked goods from the nearest store. But do not deny yourself the pleasure!
After all, with the advent of a wonderful bread machine in your home, you can enjoy real homemade cakes every day!
So, let's learn more about the bread machine. Outwardly, all bread makers are similar to each other, they differ only in color and case material - plastic or stainless steel. The design of bread machines also has a lot in common: any model is a working chamber with a lid, a heating tube (heating element) inside and an engine. A bucket is inserted into such a "furnace", which is removed, with a mount for a knife (it is also called a spatula). The bucket has a comfortable handle, non-stick coating and is a baking dish. The spatula mixes the ingredients to form a dough, while the ten turns the dough into bread. Your participation in the cooking process is reduced to a minimum: you just need to load the products indicated in the recipe into the oven, without mixing them. The bread machine will do the rest: it will mix the ingredients, heat them up, let the dough rest, knead it, and bake the bread. When the bread is ready, the bread maker will notify you with a beep. It's that simple!
In addition to directly baking bread, a bread machine can help you get ready-made dough if you don’t have the time or mental strength to do it yourself. Thanks to the no-bake kneading function, you get an excellent dough for stuffed pies, an unleavened dough with optimal consistency for pizza and dumplings. Mixed with the stove "kolobok" will only be divided into pies, put on a baking sheet, let them rise and bake in the oven. There is also a directly opposite function - baking without kneading, which is suitable for products made from batter - muffins, charlottes. First, the dough is whipped with a mixer, then it is poured into a mold - and into a bread machine! You will need this function if the oven is busy, say, with meat dishes.
In addition to bread functions, some models have another option with a delicious name "Jam": you can cook marmalade, jam, marmalade from fresh or frozen fruits and berries. The secret of this mode is the combination of low temperature, optimal cooking time and constant slow stirring with a spatula.
The functionality of bread makers depends on your needs and preferences. When choosing a bread machine, you should pay attention to the following parameters:
Power - from 400 to 1650 W in different models. The higher the indicator, the faster the oven works. Most modern bread machines have an average power of at least 600 watts. The weight and size of the loaf. For a family of 2-4 people, a product weighing from 500g to 1kg is usually enough, but some bread machines are able to bake large loaves up to 1.5kg! In order to prepare the right amount of bread every time, the bread maker allows you to set the size of each loaf - small, medium or large.
The design and number of knives: there are models of vertical and horizontal design, designed for one and two knives. Manufacturers claim that with the help of two knives, the dough is kneaded more evenly.
Viewing window: the process of baking bread will take place literally before your eyes, if you choose a model with a viewing window. What is larger is better: peering into a tiny square will be extremely inconvenient, you will certainly want to open the oven, and this is not recommended. If you do not intend to control the operation of the bread machine, buy a model with a "blank" lid.
Number of baking programs.
Bread makers can have from 3 to 17 programs. Programs differ mainly in terms of dough kneading, baking and operating temperature. In modern models, you can find both “standard” programs for baking “basic” and “wheat” bread, as well as original programs, for example: making jam, making cakes, baking Borodino bread, baking bread with various additives, a special program for rye baking bread, baking Easter cakes, baking dietary yeast-free bread, baking bread from corn, rice, pearl barley, buckwheat flour, a program for baking from wholemeal flour, a program for sweet pastries with raisins, chocolate, honey, sugar and other additives, etc.
The timer will allow you to easily set the time until which your pastries should be ready: depending on the model, it is designed for 12-15 hours. That is, by downloading the ingredients and installing the application, for example, in the evening, you will get fresh hot pastries right for breakfast. Luxuriously! The bread maker itself will calculate at what point it should start the process.
The display is always liquid crystal, sometimes with a convenient backlight. The larger it is, the better: on the small one, only numbers are visible indicating the beginning and end of the baking process. The large full-function display will provide all the information about the oven settings, the time and the current status of the bread or bun preparation process.
The memory function protects against possible power outages. Almost all bread machines have it: if the electricity is turned off, the oven saves the program from 30 seconds to 40 minutes, depending on the model, and when the power is turned on, it automatically returns to the interrupted cycle and continues to work.
How to add ingredients: Want to make sweet buns, raisin muffins or rustic bread with nuts? These ingredients are added to the already prepared dough, so the lid of an ordinary bread machine will still have to be opened. So that the microclimate inside the oven is not disturbed, it is better to purchase a model with a dispenser: pour raisins, nuts or dried fruits into a small compartment in the lid, and at the right time they are automatically poured into a bucket with dough, evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Accessories: the oven package includes such auxiliary accessories as a measuring cup, a combined double-ended measuring spoon, often you will also find a brush for coating baking with icing in the kit with the device. In models with the function of preparing baguettes, there are special stands. And of course - a book of branded recipes for baking bread with accurate dosages of products and useful tips for novice cooks.
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April 20, 2024 14:41:07 +0300 GMT
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